


Second Chances

by welkinwings



Series: Despite Everything [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Ghostbur, discussion of dead bodies (non-graphic), ghostinnit, implied suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28489074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welkinwings/pseuds/welkinwings
Summary: "Hey, you know if you leave a dead animal out in the wild for long enough it turns into a skeleton? We should do that, and then you can have my skull and be like the guy in Hamlet. Or was it Macbeth?""Tommy, what the actual hell," says Tubbo.(A direct continuation of Still Him.)
Series: Despite Everything [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2084598
Comments: 21
Kudos: 453





	1. Pardon

"I can't believe we forgot to look for your body before this," comments Tubbo, rummaging through bushes. The tower looms above still.

"Fucking hell, that's disgusting," he hears back. "Oy, I found it!"

It's been there for a while. Tubbo turns away, bile rising in his throat, more from the smell than the remaining guilt.

"I'm glad I can't smell any more," says Tommy. "Hey, you know if you leave a dead animal out in the wild for long enough it turns into a skeleton? We should do that, and then you can have my skull and be like the guy in Hamlet. Or was it Macbeth?"

"Tommy, what the actual hell," says Tubbo.

Tommy decides to inventory the body since Tubbo looks like he's about to puke.

"Where do you want to be buried?" asks Tubbo.

"Where did you put Wilbur?" asks Tommy in return.

Tubbo freezes. "We might have left him in the button room," he admits.

Tommy balks. "Seriously?! Dude!"

"Hey, you suggested we just leave your body out until it's a skeleton!" Tubbo retorts.

"Yeah, but," Tommy struggles to articulate for a second, "Keeping my skull would be cool. And I'd put the rest of the bones somewhere nice. There's gotta be like… a bit of ceremony, you know? Not a whole funeral. But something."

"No, you're right," Tubbo says. 

-

They eat a cake at the remnants of Tommy's failed beach party, gazing out at the ocean sunset.

"Are you going to get rid of the tower?" Tubbo asks.

"I think I'll keep it around, actually," says Tommy. "I uh. I'm not gonna stay here much anyway. I'll just fix it and visit every now and then."

Tubbo nods. He knows well how Tommy gets sentimental about physical objects.

-

"Techno's pretty near here," Tommy remarks casually. Tubbo trips.

"What?! You know where he is?" he exclaims. "Why didn't you tell us!"

Tommy gives him a strange look. "I could tell you weren't comfortable with it," he says. Tubbo pauses.

"Okay, to be honest, yeah. I would have stopped after what Philza said, but Quackity was on the warpath, haha," he laughs nervously. "Thanks, I guess. But… what now?"

"Just don't tell him," Tommy says.

Tubbo sighs. "If he found out I knew and didn't tell him though, he… well, he'd probably consider it a betrayal against L'Manberg. And that's gonna destroy me politically-wise."

"So what, you're just going to tell him that I know where Techno is? That sounds like a really fucking bad idea," says Tommy.

"No," says Tubbo. "I… If Philza's right, and if I can get everyone else to leave Techno alone, he won't come back. We won't have to fight him." He takes a deep breath. "I can meet him and then… I'm president, so I can pardon him."

"You don't have to do that, Tubbo," Tommy says, voice croaky. "He killed you."

Tubbo clutches his chest. Bang, went the fireworks. One life left. "I know, and I do," he replies. "There's no other option."

-

"Son of a bitch!" says Tommy, tripping again as his leg wavers in the snow.

"Your amnesia isn't as bad as Will's, but you're definitely weaker to water," Tubbo observes. 

"I fucking noticed," Tommy grumbles and crosses his arms. "Canirideonyourshoulders."

"What was that?"

"Can I. Ride. On your fucking shoulders." Tommy grinds out.

Tubbo laughs. "Of course." Tommy weighs nothing, so he's easy to lift.

"YEAH!" Tommy cheers from above him, his attitude suddenly doing a one-eighty. "I feel powerful! The view from up here is great. Tubbo, I am like a king and you are my horse." He points. Tubbo rolls his eyes and smiles. "That way, my noble steed!"

-

Despite Tommy's general incompetence with directions, the compass points them unerringly towards Techno's house.

Techno's home is a quaint little cottage on the very outskirts of a quaint little village. The image is so incongruous with the memory of the violent mass-murderer that Tubbo knows that he starts to wonder if perhaps he really has changed.

-

E, E, blood for the blood god, this is boring, rainbowchat, E, mutters Techno's chat as he tends to his turtle farm. When are we going to get fights again? one of the voices asks. "We're pacifists now, chat," he reminds them. He doesn't really believe it himself, but hell, his chat hasn't been this quiet in years. It's nice, even if it's boring. 

A figure crests a nearby hill. PHIL! one of the voices suggests, and they start cheering. "That's not Phil," Techno says, and chat breaks out into excited speculation that Techno will finally, finally fight again. BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD, one says, and they all take up the chant.

"Calm down, you're getting ahead of yourselves," he mutters, and squints. The figure is tall and misshapen - no, wait. It splits in two. One was riding the shoulders of the other. "Heh?" he says. The chat does not calm down. He stands up and leaves his turtles to go and meet the two visitors.

They're not wearing armour, he notes first, and has to fight down a rising disappointment. They wouldn't send an army of two to kill me anyway, he thinks.

As he gets closer, he recognises Tubbo and Tommy. "Huh," says Techno. TOMMY E TOMMY TOMMY, says his chat, a lot more enthusiastic. The chat loves Tommy for some godforsaken reason. Techno doesn't get it. The kid is annoying.

...The kid is also grey, he realises. GHOSTINNIT, says his chat. GHOST, rainbowchat, what???, TOMMY IS GONE CRAB RAVE, OH NO, TOMMY, ghostinnit, E. 

More importantly, Techno thinks as he tries to wrench his train of thought back on its tracks, that's the president. The lynchpin of the government of L'Manberg. Oh, so this is a trap, then. FIGHT BLOOD KILL. He'll wait for them to attack first. He is trying to be a pacifist.

"Hello, president," he greets smoothly. "What brings you here?" There must be others waiting to ambush him, but he can't tell where they are. Luckily, he's wearing his armour and has his weapons at the ready. 

"We just came to meet you," Tubbo says. Bullshit, he thinks. BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD adds the chat unhelpfully.

Out loud, he says, "Listen. Why don't you come inside? I can make you some tea."

-

"Can you even drink tea?" asks Tubbo under his breath.

"Dunno," Tommy says.

-

The two of them look absolutely terrible. Techno doesn't comment on it, although his chat does. They've mostly given up on the prospect of a fight by now, and have switched to some kind of big brother mode for the two kids.

He almost prefers it when they're begging for blood. 

"So," he says as he hands them both a mug. "What are you two doing here?"

Tubbo opens his mouth, but Tommy spits out his tea. "Fucking hell this is tasteless!" he complains. Then he blinks and sticks his hand in it.

Tubbo pinches the bridge of his nose. 

"Ghosts can't taste, Tommy," Techno says. What the hell.

"I know," Tommy mutters. "I guess I just hoped - well, look! It's been a while since I touched a liquid." He splashes the tea a bit and stares at it.

"Oh yeah, since water makes you melt," Tubbo muses.

"I hope you don't mind my asking, uh," Techno interjects, "but why are you a ghost?" 

"I… died in exile," says Tommy. Tubbo gives him a look that Techno can't decipher. Something else must have happened.

And yet he can't help but laugh. "So you're telling me," he crows, "that you died, betrayed by your best friend, with nothing left, and you STILL went crawling back to your government? That's pathetic!"

They both stand up, chairs slammed back. "Tommy is not-!" "Tubbo didn't-!"

They freeze and look at each other, and sit back down. Techno is stunned.

"Remember why we're here," Tommy says. 

Tubbo nods. He takes a deep breath. "Philza claims," he says, "that you've retired."

"I have," Techno confirms.

"No more fighting? No more terrorism?" Tubbo asks.

"That's the plan," Techno says.

Tubbo stares at him. Techno holds his gaze.

"Fine," says Tubbo. "I'll pardon you."

What. WHAT? says the chat. "What," says Techno.

"I'm pardoning you," says Tubbo. "I'll need to do the paperwork once I'm back in L'Manberg, but this is the deal I'm offering you. A second chance." He offers his hand.

"Live and let live," Tommy says.

"Oh," says Techno. He's only doing it because he has no choice, an inner voice says. He can't tell if it's his own. They can't afford to fight you. You could kill him, right now. Topple the government. It would be easy.

He runs mental fingers over the sword in his inventory. It would be easy.

But he's not going to. 

Techno takes Tubbo's hand. They shake.

"Live and let live," Techno says.

-

"That's the easy part done," says Tubbo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to turn it into a series! Thanks for reading!


	2. Order

"Tubbo, my man!" says Quackity, clapping him on the back. Tubbo smiles and tries to fight the nerves from his expression. "Where've you been?"

"Hanging out with Tommy," Tubbo says. "Reconnecting, you know?" It is true.

"Yeah," says Quackity. "After I heard he died… Well, I'm glad that exile stuff is over. Worst decision ever, man. Is he doing okay?" 

Tubbo nods. "All things considering, quite well actually. We've, uh, talked about it."

"Good, good," says Quackity. "Are you going to reinstate him as your vice president?"

Tubbo gives him a surprised look. "You wouldn't mind?"

Quackity waves it off. "I've just been standing in," he says. "Everyone knows Tommy's your real right hand man. I'd still be your advisor, and in charge of the butcher army."

Tubbo winces. "Yeah, I… yeah. Listen, Quackity-"

"What's up?" Quackity asks.

"I'm making an announcement tomorrow," said Tubbo. "I've learned… I'm telling you in advance this time."

Quackity looks concerned. "What's going on?"

Tubbo takes a deep breath. "We founded L'Manberg on the principle of freedom, Quackity. Freedom to do whatever, be who you want to be, y'know? Because Dream was a tyrant. And - and that worked, for a while! But when Schlatt won the election, L'Manberg lost its - its principles."

"Where are you going with this?" Quackity murmured.

"I don't want to be the next Schlatt, Quackity," Tubbo shakes his head. "We both heard what Philza said. I went to see for myself."

Quackity takes a step back. "You found him? You SAW him?!"

"Quackity," Tubbo says, voice becoming harder. Quackity quiets.

"Philza was telling the truth. Techno has sworn off of violence," Tubbo tells him.

"What difference does it make!" Anger rises in his voice. "He committed those crimes, so he has to pay for them!"

"No," says Tubbo. "I am the president, Quackity. I'm pardoning Technoblade."

Quackity goes still. "You're making a mistake."

"I said this before, Quackity!" Tubbo says. "We can't - we can't go on these meaningless rampages! L'Manberg is at peace, and all trying to fight Technoblade will do is wreck that."

"For how long, though?" says Quackity. "How long do you really think the Blade is going to resist violence? It runs through his blood, Tubbo. He'll destroy this country eventually. The only way to protect it is to kill him first."

"He's trying," says Tubbo. "But… Philza trusts him. And Tommy trusts Philza. And I trust Tommy. So I'm giving him another chance."

"This is a mistake, Tubbo," Quackity repeats.

"Under my authority as president, we are going to leave Techno alone. Do you understand?" Tubbo says.

Quackity stares at him. "Yes, Mr. President," he replies.

-

"Oh my god," says Tubbo breathlessly as he hugs Tommy, "I wasn't sure if I could do it."

"I'm proud of you, man," Tommy says.

-

Tubbo knocks on Philza's door, Tommy behind him.

"What do you want now," says Philza as he opens it. His expression changes when he sees them.

"Oh, hello Tommy, Tubbo," he says. "What brings you here?"

"Hi Phil. I'm releasing you from house arrest," says Tubbo without preamble.

"Oh!" says Phil. "That's good. Techno messaged me the news, but I wasn't sure when I'd be released, to be honest."

Tubbo nods. "Here, give me your ankle," he says, and quickly unlocks the monitor.

Phil rubs at his ankle for a second, and then stands up.

"Listen," he says. "Thank you. Both of you. For… everything."

"Yeah, alright," says Tommy.

"I'm here to help," says Tubbo, and smiles.

-

Ghostbur dangles his feet over the edge of the platform that L'Manberg's marketplace stands on, watching the fishes in the lake below and giggling.

"Hey, big dubs!" shouts Tommy. He looks up to see Tommy, Tubbo, and Phil approaching him.

Ghostbur perks up. "Hi Tommy! Hi Tubbo! Hi Phil!" He waves. 

"Hey Will," Phil says. "Look, got my monitor off."

"Oh! That's good!" says Ghostbur, slightly vacantly.

"Ghostbur," says Tubbo, "You know how you said you wanted a funeral?"

Ghostbur stops swinging his legs and looks back up at them. "Noooo," he says contemplatively, "but… I'd appreciate it, I guess!" You don't deserve it. You don't deserve it, nags a little voice.

"Well we're getting your body and then we're gonna have like a joint burial thing," says Tommy. 

They're only doing it because Tommy's dead now. Because you failed him, says Wilbur. Ghostbur shakes it off. "Aw! I'd love that, Tommy!" he says instead, leaping up and glomping Tommy. "I knew you loved me really."

"Get off me!" says Tommy.

-

The button room is hidden behind a rock facade underneath the podium. Everyone else hesitates, so Tommy goes ahead and mines through it.

"Eugh," says Phil descriptively. Tommy quickly puts away Wilbur's body.

They take a moment to take in the state of the room. The eponymous button sits almost unassumingly on the back wall, small for something that caused so much damage. The walls are scrawled with insane ramblings that Ghostbur cringes away from, instead staring at the time-darkened bloodstains on the floor.

"Why are you smiling," asks Tommy. "That's creepy."

"Oh - I'm just glad that he's gone," says Ghostbur.

"Oh, Will," says Phil, voice full of pity.

Ghostbur whirls around. "I'm not Will!" he cries. Not meant to be, not meant to be, murmurs Wilbur in his head. He clutches it. "No, no, no..." 

"Let's get the hell out of here," says Tommy, disturbed.

-

Phil and Ghostbur walk ahead. Tommy and Tubbo fall a little behind.

"I've never seen him like that," mutters Tommy, and then corrects, "Well, I don't remember him like that."

Tubbo shakes his head. "He tries to separate himself from Wilbur," he says. "I don't know if this will help."

"He wants to be good." Tommy says. "But he thinks that Wilbur was bad." He looks away. "...Maybe he was in the end. I don't even remember."

Tubbo sighs. "I think he wanted the best for… his idea, of L'Manberg."

"Pah," Tommy spits. "So he fucking blew up actual L'Manberg? Ghostbur's right."

"Ooh, I heard my name!" Ghostbur skips back towards them. "Are you two talking about me?"

"Yeah, big dubs!" Tommy gives him a double thumbs up and a huge grin. "We were just talking about how cool we think you are."

"Oh, thank you!" Ghostbur says, and skips forward again.

"Do you think he noticed?" Tommy whispers to Tubbo.

Tubbo whispers back, "It's a good thing he's so oblivious."

Ghostbur's smile drops. Blue leaks through his fingers, staining his hands like blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This struggled with me a bit, so I hope it turned out alright! Thanks for reading.


	3. Discontinued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry - not an actual chapter.

It's safe to say this series is dead. To be honest, it probably would have been better to leave it at the first fic - a self contained story - but I'll leave this one up as well.

I kind of lost inspiration for this fic when I realised a fundamental problem with its premise - that is to say, a ghost Tommy that still acts exactly like living Tommy doesn't work, because it takes away the significance of the death. Ghostbur's whole point is that he isn't like Wilbur, after all.

The arguably bigger reason is that it felt really fucking weird to be writing a fic where a character committing suicide led to a better ending than in canon. Oops?

The other thing is that to be honest, I had no idea where to go next. The whole thing was completely improvised and I think I just wrote myself into a situation where I couldn't figure out how to tie it together.

Well, this was fun, and a bit of a learning experience. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Thanks for all the comments - I loved every one even if I didn't manage to reply to them all.

Bye!

Edit: I'm an idiot and a fool. Why didn't I just make my ao3 username different from my other usernames lmao

this is coming off of anon once I'm sure it won't display my old username 

-welkinwings


End file.
